What I Read This Week: April 18, 2021

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Welcome to this week’s reading re-cap. I finished four books this week and they were all enjoyable. I think my reading slump is officially gone!

Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade

Contemporary romance

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It took me a while to get into this because I’m don’t “get” fan fiction, but once I got to know the characters, I was fully invested in their stories. There was a lot about this book that I loved, and I’m a sucker for an unconventional love story! Here we have a handsome famous actor who starts dating a fan after seeing her trolled on Twitter for her appearance. I absolutely love when characters are more than they appear to be on the surface, and even the minor characters are complex. The body positivity in the story is top notch, which is refreshing to see in romance. I thoroughly enjoyed witnessing the emotional journeys of April and Marcus. And while I’m generally not one for a plot line that focuses on secrecy, it works here and I couldn’t wait to see how it turned out. I recommend this one for readers of romance.

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

Mystery/Audiobook

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Advanced copy from NetGalley, expected publication May 4, 2021. This is a suspenseful mystery with family at its core. It made me consider the age old question of whether or not we ever really know the people we’re close to. It also make me think a lot about what decisions I might make if in the characters’ shoes. What are we willing to do to keep our loved ones safe? I don’t want to say anything else about the plot so you can experience it first hand! I listened to the audiobook narrated by Rebecca Lowman, and while she did a decent job, I would have expected a more emotional narration. I never connected with our protagonist Hannah. She was telling me what happened, and it was compelling but I didn’t feel much. Overall this was an enjoyable read and I recommend it for readers of mysteries, thrillers, and women’s fiction.

Group: How one therapist and a circle of strangers changed my life by Christie Tate

Memoir

While I enjoy memoir, rarely do I come across one where I feel like I can’t put it down, like I did with this one! This is the author’s personal account of her years in group therapy. The writing is blunt, bordering on crude at times and it absolutely works for the story. Christie is honest and vulnerable in sharing her experiences with the reader with the goal of eradicating shame. Overall this is a stunning memoir in terms of what it says and accomplishes. The whole point is that we humans are wired for connection. We cannot achieve intimacy with others until we release our shame and are willing to be seen for who we really are. Christie found this in her group members and that is such a gift. It takes a lot of work to be seen and trust the seers aren’t going to bail on you. This is an important book that I will recommend to just about anyone!

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

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As with Emily Henry’s other books, this is a lot more than a straight forward romance. This is the story of two friends who fall in love with each other, and it’s really the story of their friendship. Alternating in time between the present and the past twelve summers of their friendship, we get to know Poppy and Alex. At first they seem like total opposites who would never get along. Then they become best friends, each the only one in the others life who truly sees them for all that they are. This is a sweet story, it’s also hilarious and realistic. It shows how life is messy, especially in regard to relationships of any kind. It also shows that what you think you want isn’t always what your truly want and need deep down. I highly recommend this one for readers of romance.

Girls Weekend by C.M. Nacosta

Fantasy/Romance

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Available on Kindle Unlimited I was expecting straight up smut here (nothing wrong with that) and was pleasantly surprised to find depth and sweetness too. This is a fun story following three elves who take a girls trip to a nudist colony of orcs. Each of them is looking for something different from the trip and none of them end up with exactly what they expected. We alternate between the three women’s perspectives, learning a little about their backstories, struggles, and hopes. It was a funny, entertaining read but fantasy isn’t my jam so I don’t think I appreciated it as much as some other readers would. So I recommend it for readers of fantasy romance.